


Mind The Gap

by danceswithgary



Series: Screen Savor [12]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Don't Ask Don't Tell, Established Relationship, M/M, Photography, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-09
Updated: 2010-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:57:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There haven't been any changes in John's life since the repeal of DADT, and that's a problem. Set in the <b>Screen Savor</b> 'verse, a missing scene in <b>Remember When</b>, chronologically after <b>Turn the Page</b>. May be read standalone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mind The Gap

**Mind The Gap**

 

**From:** jeanniemiller@gmail.com   
**To:** mrmckay@secure.sgc-atl.gov, ltcjsheppard@secure.sgc-atl.gov  
**Sent:** March 30, 2011 9:37:20 PM  
**Subject:** Can't remember if I gave you copies of these  
**Attachment:** Whistler10-2010_MerandJohn.zip

Mer, John,

Just a quick note. I was sorting through my holiday pictures and I ran across these from that day at Whistler. I couldn't remember if you downloaded them before you left, so here they are, just in case. There are probably some you'll end up deleting because it was such an overcast day, but I thought I'd let you decide. It was nice that I could send them without worrying about John getting into trouble because of those stupid rules.

Oh, I forgot to tell you in my last email that Madison took first in the spelling bee, even with the lisp from the missing tooth. She refused to let me take another picture to send to you, insisted I'd already taken too many. Little spoilsport.

I'm calling it a night. Hope you like at least some of the pictures.

Take care,

Jeannie

 

Winding down from a long day of reports, John smiled as he read Jeannie's email and clicked through the pictures from their Thanksgiving trip, the one they'd taken in October to celebrate the Canadian holiday. It had been nice visiting Vancouver when it was still warm enough to go hiking, although they'd missed the peak season for the maples that Jeannie claimed were gorgeous every fall. The pictures Jeannie had been concerned about were from a day trip on the Sea to Sky Highway, with a stop at Whistler. It had been cloudy most of the day, but thankfully not enough the ruin the gorgeous views in the Coast Mountains.

It wasn't until he came across the pictures taken at one of the trailheads that John understood Jeannie's remark about 'stupid rules.' There was nothing overt about his and Rodney's poses but, combined with their habit of vacationing together for the past few years, they could have considered another piece of evidence for anyone looking to oust John from his command. They'd been standing too close for the comfort of those deserving Rodney's label of 'homophobic morons'.

Those rules were gone, had been for months. There had been no big announcement on Atlantis when the US government finally repealed DADT; only a simple email referring to amendments to the UCMJ with a PDF attached containing the pertinent details along with a reminder about the fraternization rules still in place. No riotous partying had followed, and John hadn't noticed any significant changes in the interactions of the men and women under his command.

John also hadn't noticed any difference in how he and Rodney acted with each other. Seeing how close they'd stood in Jeannie's pictures suddenly made it clear just how much that status quo bothered John. They'd never really discussed the rules, although they'd certainly been aware of the potential cost. Rodney had always been scrupulous concealing his interest in John beyond friendship, and only Teyla, Ronon, and Carson explicitly knew about them being together, although John wondered how much Elizabeth had guessed before Shen Xiaoyi had replaced her as Atlantis' governor.

After opening several files to check availability, John closed his laptop and scooped it off his desk, heading for the mess hall, turning over problems and possibilities in his mind along the way. It had been easy to simply leave things as they were, easy for John, that is. He wondered if it had been the same for Rodney, tried to recall any indication that Rodney had wanted more and John had managed to fumble the relationship ball.

There was only one way to find out.

~/~/~

Fortunately, for the sake of John's quickly constructed plan, as well as his peace of mind, he didn't need to search very far for Rodney. Walking into the lab, John smiled when he spotted the familiar hunched shape perched on his usual stool. With a waved greeting in Zelenka's general direction, John sneaked up behind Rodney then leaned in to ask, "Hey, buddy. You see Jeannie's pictures yet?"

"You! I…." Rodney's jerk and usual glance around the room, followed by the careful insertion of an additional six inches between them, only strengthened John's resolve to find out whether the imposed distance was what Rodney wanted or what he believed John still needed. Unaware of John's intentions, Rodney shook his head and focused on his laptop again, muttering, "I suppose I should have expected that. It's been all of five hours since you've bothered me, hasn't it? And no, I've been working, not reading the latest suburban gossip from the not-so-desperate housewife."

Determined to make a point, John closed the distance between them again and, this time, he followed it with a soft kiss to Rodney's temple and a whispered, "Mer." Sucking in a hissing breath, Rodney stiffened and whipped his head around to stare at John, his eyes wide. "Uh…."

"What say we call it an early night and head to your room? I already grabbed us something to eat, and I thought maybe…we could…" John straightened and rubbed the back of his neck, losing a little of his momentum when he thought about what was next. "…uh…I guess…talk?" John had a feeling his grin had slipped a little, so he deliberately shifted it into 'you really want to do this, I promise you'll like it' mode, which had always worked on Rodney in the past.

Frowning in puzzlement, his hands on autopilot, Rodney shut down his laptop, his eyes never leaving John's face. "_You_ want to talk." He stood and allowed John to settle a hand on his lower back and steer him toward the door. "Really? Talk?"

Pleased that they were finally heading in the right direction, John nodded. "Um…yeah? But not here. Okay?" He caught a burst of Czech as they left the lab, but John gathered from the amused indulgent tone that Zelenka hadn't been as surprised by the kiss as Rodney had been.

Rodney was quiet on the way to his room, but John took it as a positive when Rodney stiffened but didn't move away from John's hand, as they passed several of John's Marines in the corridor. John smiled and nodded to them, but no one spoke beyond a polite, "Evening, sirs," and none of them stopped to watch John and Rodney enter the room together, something Rodney had always been careful about hiding.

Even before the door had closed behind them, Rodney gasped and came to a dead stop. He stared for a moment at the dinner John had set up in the center of the room, and then he wheeled around to poke a finger into John's sternum while blurting out, "Okay, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" He poked again - harder. "Did I miss an anniversary or something?" John grabbed Rodney's increasingly vicious finger in self-defense, but that did nothing to slow down Rodney's mouth. "Do we even celebrate those? When did we start? I…"

"Mer, stop." A quick, hard kiss was John's only recourse, and he took it. Twisting his hand around Rodney's, John led him to the small table and indicated he should sit. With a tentative smile at kissed-quiet Rodney, John lit the candles that Teyla had offered, and then opened the bottle of Melkan wine he'd been saving for a special occasion. John couldn't think of a better time. After pouring a glass for each of them, he took his seat opposite Rodney and waited for him to take a sip. He was relieved to see Rodney relax a little with his first taste.

"Mmm. This is one of my favorites."

John nodded. "I know." After trying a sip of his own, John took a deep breath and began, no longer able to follow his initial plan to wait until after they'd eaten to talk. "Mer, uh…you know that…that you're…uh…important. To me. Right?"

The smile the wine had produced dipped to one side, as Rodney carefully placed his glass on the table and asked, "Why do I get a feeling there's something missing when you say that, like a conjunction? Perhaps a 'but'?"

"No! I mean…it's an 'and!'" John's hand started shaking, not much but enough to make his glass join Rodney's on the table. Licking his lower lip nervously, he tried again. "Remember the first year we were here, you were looking for a one-bedroom with a den, preferably with a balcony?"

"The same one I still didn't get when we moved back in after Helia's crowd?" Rodney scowled as he remembered his old grievance. "Why?"

"Well, I looked at the available suites today and found one I thought we might like, with that den and a balcony."

"I'm okay with what I have now, the bathtub's a good tradeoff for a balcony…. Wait. Did you say _we_?"

"Um, yeah? I was trying…uh…I want us to…to move in. Together. You and me. I…."

"Okay, okay. I've got the gist of what you're asking." Narrowly avoiding candles and wineglasses, Rodney reached across the table to take John's hand. His face was serious as he asked, "I'm assuming you've considered what people will say, and that it doesn't matter to you, at least not enough to stop you…."

John had known Rodney would understand everything John hadn't said, but he didn't want to wait for Rodney to run down. John needed to know his answer. He got up, walked around the table and pulled Rodney to his feet. "Mer."

Rodney tilted his head, and John was ready to swear his eyes actually twinkled as he teased John with, "What? Oh, didn't I say?"

John was fairly certain he knew Rodney's answer, but he played along. "No!"

Rodney rolled his eyes at him, but all John cared about was what Rodney said. "Yes, you're important to me too, and I want to live with you."

"Yes!"

John wrapped his arms around Rodney and sealed their deal with a kiss, one that threatened to short-circuit any more discussion but, after a few sweet minutes, Rodney pulled back to pepper a few kisses along John's jaw and ask, "So, we're really going to do this? You're sure?"

"Yeah, I am." John nodded and smiled. "You won't have to check to see who's watching us or move away from me in public anymore."

Rodney laughed and squeezed John a little. "You do realize I'm going to need a little time to get used to that?"

"We both will." With a relieved sigh, John rested his forehead against Rodney's. "Together."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Response to McSheplets Challenge #73: Coming out. Icon available for personal use with credit.


End file.
